Are you Bluffton's 'Worst Golfer'?

Subheadline:

HEAL YOUR HOOK; SHED YOUR SHANK

John Basch is not shy in telling people that he was a terrible golfer. In fact, two years ago, he was absolutely campaigning to be named the worst golfer in Bluffton. He and two other self-proclaimed horrible hackers were the finalists among dozens who applied to a project run by Class A PGA Professional Kevin Hankey, who works and teaches at Oldfield Golf Course. The reward for claiming the crown was a series of free lessons from Hankey, valued at about $1,000.

“Golf always looked like it would be a lot of fun,” Basch said. “I enjoy being outdoors and no matter how I play, I enjoy it. But it can be frustrating at times.”

He and his wife, Maria, lived in Baltimore County, Md., until moving to Sun City three years ago. They owned golf clubs, took lessons and were playing regularly with friends for about six months until the friends moved away.

That was about 20 years ago, Basch said, and with on-the-job traveling, the rounds of golf became fewer and fewer. After moving to the Lowcountry, Bash played with a friend who lived in Bluffton, but it was not enough.

“I knew I needed help, and an opportunity came along ... a good one,” he said.

That was Hankey’s program, similar to the Golf Channel’s “The Haney Project” of taking a celebrity with a bad game and trying to make it better. More than 60 people were willing to say they had terrible games and would admit it in the newspaper.

“I didn’t think there would be anything near the competition there was, but I’m not bashful. I tell people I’m not a good golfer,” Basch said.

And tell, he did.

“Actually, I was encouraging people to vote for me because I needed the lessons. It was Internet voting, the website and telephone calls. All my children got involved,” Basch said. “I have a daughter who works at Patuxent Naval Air Station in Maryland and she had all her friends call. There were a lot of ‘.mil’ votes for me. I was actively pursuing the title.”

The efforts paid off and the swing vote went in Basch’s direction. In early July 2009, Hankey took Basch on as his project and it was his swing that got the most attention.

“We worked on the basic swing, making sure I had the proper stance addressing the ball,” Basch said. “I tend to hit left if left to my own devices. Now he has me hitting pretty straight. I think we spent three-fourths of the lessons working on the swing before we got in the chipping and putting.”

Watching Basch hit a bucket of balls off the mats at Hidden Cypress Golf Course in Sun City, it was clear what he meant by a natural tendency to end up left of the mark. But Basch knows what he needs to do and works on it. He was the perfect individual for Hankey to work with.

“Now I can diagnose it myself more what I am doing wrong, whereas before I didn’t have a clue,” Basch said. “I hit more what I call line drives. I’m not a guy who can hit a ball over a tree and count on it every time.

“The one thing I have figured out is I have to practice to stay consistent. I can’t just go play golf. I have to come up and hit a few balls now and then. I think I’m better now.”

He now plays at least once a week, Basch said, although he had not played most of the winter with the weather and travelling to see family. He went back to see Hankey.

“I was uncoordinated but 15 minutes with Kevin and I was back in the groove,” he said.”

Hankey said he had a lot of fun and got to meet a lot of people through his efforts. It’s why he decided to do it again.

“I imagine I’ll meet a lot of the same people. Plus I think it will be great to have a tournament between John and the new golfer at the end of the lessons,” Hankey said.

“I’ll have to get tuned up for that because the new guy will be fresh off Kevin,” Basch said.

Hankey’s first impression of Basch was that he fit the stereotype of worst golfer but thought he could learn.

“I had a lot of people who I thought wouldn’t listen but John’s personality and ability to listen were good,” said Hankey. “The first thing we worked on? His set-up. That was the biggest thing. We really didn’t do a lot with his swing but once I got his set-up right he was putting the ball in the air.”

Basch had mentioned that many of his shots didn’t fly high but skimmed the surface of the golf course.

“I was killing snakes,” he said.

The ideal applicant for Bluffton’s Worst Golfer is someone who is trainable; not an absolute beginner but someone who is willing to learn and be able to put in the time to learn, according to Hankey.

“You definitely have to be someone who has the time to do that so probably someone who is working full-time is not going to work,” the pro said.

“Don’t be hesitant to apply because the rewards are great,” Basch said. “Even when we got down to the final three, we all said no matter what, we were going to take lessons.”

“I got the satisfaction of helping someone who couldn’t play to go out and have more fun with it,” Hankey said. “There aren’t a lot of people out there who will admit they’re a bad golfer.”

Those interested in applying for Basch’s title should call 368-6757 or e-mail seriousgolf@pga.com. Nominate yourself or someone you love who wants to improve their game. The deadline is March 31. Once nominations are in, Hankey will take the list and whittle it down to a workable list of troubled golfers. Keep an eye on this space for regular follow-ups on the candidates, the three finalists and their bios and Bluffton’s newest Worst Golfer, selected by Bluffton Today readers and the candidates’ friends and families.